Defying Gravity
by Heliotropium
Summary: All Pit had done was glide. To fly, he needed a teacher, and there was only one person with wings who could actually speak. Unfortunately, Meta Knight is incredibly intimidating.
1. Invitation

Haha I am actually doing this even though no one ships it. There was like… five when it first came up, but now it's dead. We'll see how it turns out this time around. I honestly don't know if it'll end up with romance again, but for now, they'll have the magic of friendship.

Rating subject to go up because of... author note language.

Nintendo and Konami properties aren't mine, yada yada yada

* * *

><p>Within the fight simulator of the Smash mansion, four Smashers were duking it out in an old school battle. Two had already gone down, leaving a fierce rivalry to unfold on the stage. The younger looking warrior nearly panicked as he desperately air jumped back and used his saving move to get back on the stage. He could almost feel the ground under his feet again when it became clear he would not make it.<p>

"_And the winner is… Link!"_

The four Smashers exited the fight simulator, laughing.

"If I didn't miss that landing, I so would have won!" Pit laughed. Link just chuckled and gently ruffled the angel's hair.

"It's-a too bad the-a sim-a limits your flight." Mario commented. "You could-a won."

"Poyo!" Kirby exclaimed in agreement.

Pit immediately scowled. "Not like I could fly anyway. The sim is the closest I get to flying." He sighed in defeat. "The flight instructors back home in Angel Land never let me do lessons because they thought my wings were too puny. And now that they grew out, I was suddenly recruited here."

"Do you regret it?" Link asked quietly.

"Of course not, I love it here! I just wish I could learn how to fly _and_ keep fighting here at the same time."

"Poyo poyo!"

Mario took off his hat to scratch his head. "You can ask-a someone to-a come here." The Italian plumber suggested after some thought."

"I can't ask them that!" Pit nearly shouted. "Besides, Master Hand wouldn't let them stay for very long. I mean Roy, Mewtwo, and Pichu barely gets to visit…"

"What about someone who's already here?"

The three humanoids stared down at the happy pink ball. Kirby stared back inquisitively, but giggled happily at the attention.

"He flies by inflating." Pit moaned. "I can't blow myself up to fly!"

"So does-a Jigglypuff…"

"And Charizard can't talk, man this sucks!"

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" The sole Hyrulian rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on when no one answered. "What about Meta Knight?"

Pit and Mario stopped to look at each other. After a long and frustrating winning streak, Master Hand had asked politely asked Meta Knight to stop participating in most tournaments, murmuring something about how he was "severely unbalanced". The masked knight was upset at first, but stated that he would step down from those tournaments because he it was the chivalrous thing to do. Now, he was simply content to participate in battles for fun although it was rumored he spent a good amount of time beating on the Fighting Alloys during tournaments. He was normally elusive even outside of battle, so it was no wonder he managed to evade Pit and Mario's memory.

"Meta Knight might-a not be the best person to ask for that right-a now." Mario coughed.

"Poyo poyo." Kirby babbled dismissively. The star warrior leaped onto Pit's head, wiggling around to get comfortable. From there, he pointed with his chubby arm to the hall. "Go!"

The angel laughed at the puffball's actions. "If you think it's a good idea Kirby, I'll do it!" He then dashed off, leaving Mario and Link in the lobby.

"Mamma Mia, they're-a gunna get it now." Mario sighed. "The Princess said she-a finally convinced Meta Knight to have-a tea with her."

* * *

><p>In his excitement, Pit seemed to have forgotten one major detail. He skid to a stop and held his arms out to catch his round companion. "Oh wait Kirby, where would Sir Meta Knight be?" He asked. Kirby gave him a blank stare and shrugged, much to the brunet's disappointment.<p>

"Poyo…"

"Don't blame yourself, you were only trying to help me." He hugged Kirby reassuringly. "We'll just have to look for him!"

"Poyo!"

It only took a few minutes of running down the halls for Kirby to perk back up. He writhed in Pit's arms and suddenly dashed to the gardens. "Hey—Kirby! Wait up!" It soon became clear why Kirby had acted up. The smell of freshly baked cookies was getting stronger and stronger. The angel only knew where this was going. The pink décor that matched his sense of doom was unmistakable. They were running straight for one of Peach's tea parties. "Kirby, no!" He was thankful he was starting to gain on the gluttonous Dreamlander. Right at the gates of the princess' private area, he was just about to scoop Kirby up, when the simulator's physics caught up with him. He tripped and skidded painfully to a stop, uprooting quite a bit of dirt and grass. He did feel Kirby stop to poke his head, but the pain was too much. Luckily, no one was around to see.

"Oh, are you okay Pit?"

He cursed his luck to Hades. He lifted his head and wiped his face off to grin at Peach.

"I'm made of tough stuff, Princess!" Pit answered cockily.

"Good, then you can handle this!" Before he could ask, the blonde princess bent down and pinched his cheek, pulling on it viciously. "What are you doing here? You know not to barge in on one of my tea parties without an invitation!"

"Ow, ow, plea leggo Princess!" Pit strained. Peach angrily threw his head back down to the dirty, letting out an indignant hmph. "Kirby smelled the food and I was trying to stop him!"

"Kirby?" Peach gasped. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry Pit. Won't you please forgive me?"

"Heh heh hehe… I never held it against you…"

Peach helped Pit back onto his feet and immediately took a handkerchief out to wipe his face clean. "Tell you what, Pit! As an apology, I'll let you come to the tea party."

"That won't be necessary—wait, what about Kirby?"

"Kirby can come too! Oh I would be so grateful if he did… We overdid it with the baking. There's too many pastries for us to finish!"

On cue, Kirby jumped out of the bush he was hiding in and landed in Peach's arms.

"Pastries, pastries!"

"Oh, well hello Kirby!" Peach cooed sweetly. "Would you like to join us for some tea?"

"Poyo!" Kirby chirped in affirmation.

"Well have a good time," Pit said. "I need to look for—"

"Now hold it right there young man!" Peach interrupted. "I invited you to tea, I must insist you come!"

"But I—"

"Pretty please?"

"Poyo!"

The two pink figures loomed over the poor angel, giving him no option to retreat. He wished he hadn't chased Kirby into the garden and just continued his search for Meta Knight. His luck was being a cruel master, or so he thought. Those cookies did smell awfully good…

No! He had to learn how to fly so he could protect Palutena better. He found his inability to fly an embarrassment to the army, and he was sure some of his peers felt the same way, regardless of Palutena's constant assurance that he was perfect to lead the army. That's his reason for entering the tournament, not to sit around and have tea! But those cookies were so very tempting…

"You're back!" He heard Zelda say. Pit snapped out of his daydreaming and looked. As expected, Princess Zelda was seated at the table, blowing on her cup of tea. Marth was also there, but that was no surprise in retrospect. The real shock had been with who sat next to Marth. He was hidden behind a stack of pies, but it was unmistakable.

"Sir Meta Knight!" Pit exclaimed. The masked knight coughed.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Er, actually." The angel began nervously. "I did have something to ask you."

"I will hear it after this is over. It is impolite to interrupt an afternoon tea with a request."

Pit scowled, but sat as he was told. Kirby bounced onto his lap, happily sucking up the sugary treats in front of them. Peach left to bring back more cushions for Kirby to sit on his own chair before settling down. Zelda poured them each a cup of tea, giggling softly.

"How was the match today?" She asked kindly.

"It was good! Link won."

"Poyo!"

The Hyrulian princess gave him a thoughtful look. "You really do respect Link quite a bit."

"He's like a big brother to me!"

Marth chuckled at the brunet's cheerfulness. "I don't suppose you have a figure like Link back home."

"Not really… The instructors didn't even like me until after I defeated Medusa."

"That is a shame." Meta Knight commented. "You are a fine soldier. Only a fool wouldn't be able to recognize that."

Pit blushed slightly at the praise. "I've only got where I am because Palutena helped me."

The rest of the tea party had been a huge bore, especially while Pit was still running on leftover adrenaline from the match. The others had chosen to discuss politics of all things. He tried to listen, but failed miserably, deciding that politics took the spot under Jigglypuff's singing for things that put him to sleep fastest. Kirby kept poking him awake, seemingly immune to the boring subject. In a rare gesture of generosity, he placed a few cookies on Pit's tiny plate. He even poured him tea, but threw in half a cup's worth of sugar cubes.

"Poyoi."

Kirby looked at him sweetly, trying to coax him to indulge on the sugary goodness. The unfortunate angel, unable to resist the Dreamlander's charm, choked back his tea. Pit had to force a smile to please his younger friend.

"Poyo."

Kirby gestured to the plate of cookies in front of Pit, who apprehensively picked one up. Preparing for another spike in sugar. To his surprise, it wasn't as ridiculously sweet as his tea had been. He chewed slowly, taking in the rich flavor of the bitter chocolate that contrasted well with the sweetness of the cookie dough.

"Do you like it?" Marth suddenly asked with an amused tone. "Sir Meta Knight baked it."

"Lord Marth!" the armored puffball protested.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." Peach giggled. "They _are_ very good!"

"I must take my leave now." He muttered quickly. He pushed away from the table and tried to jump off his chair, but Marth quickly caught him.

"What for?" The Altean prince teased. "I don't recall you having any other engagements today."

Like in battle, the tiny knight was quick on his feet. "Pit, didn't you have something you wanted to discuss with me?"

"Uhh, yeah." Pit answered, feeling slightly used.

"Then let's go." Somehow, Meta Knight managed to slip away, much to Marth's disappointment. Pit hastily followed him out of the pink decorations and to the hall. He suddenly turned around, glaring.

"If you tell anyone else about this, I will have no mercy on you." He hissed in a low voice. The angel made a mental note to never, under any circumstances, ever anger the puffball.

"I understand!" Pit squeaked, his voice higher than he intended. Meta Knight just closed his eyes and sighed.

"Well? What was your request?"

It took a moment for Pit to gather back his dignity to answer. He cleared his throat, suddenly nervous. "I want to learn how to fly."

Meta Knight gave him a look and began to circle him. He inspected his fellow knight with intense scrutiny before finally giving his verdict. "It will be tough, but not impossible." He finally concluded. "But why did you ask me? My body type isn't even remotely similar to yours."

"Er, what do you mean by that?"

"You have a humanoid structure, I do not. Our weight distribution isn't the same, let alone body-to-wing ratio. You are much too heavy for your wings."

"Are you calling me fat?" Pit huffed, offended. But he immediately backed down, realizing how stupid that was.

"No Pit." Meta Knight sighed. "Your bones are solid, and that's what weighs you down the most. A bird's bones are hollow, which makes it light enough to fly."

"What about you?"

"I don't have bones in my body."

"But how do yo—"

"It's complicated and messy."

An awkward silence overtook the pair before Pit cleared his throat and spoke up once more.

"But you said it wasn't impossible."

"And I said it would be tough and time consuming. Are you prepared for that?" Meta Knight stared him down, intent on intimidating him, but Pit stood firm.

"I want to fly." He said with firm conviction. "I NEED to fly. I won't be able to protect my Goddess Palutena if I can't fly."

The short knight nodded, satisfied by his answer. "Very well then. I will ask Master Hand for a special simulator for this training."

"You can do that?"

"He owe mes that much for barring me from tournaments."

Pit stared at him silently. He knew he was a man of honor, so the thought of him calling favors surprised him. But he didn't care. He was getting his flight lessons! He almost picked up his mentor in happiness, halting only when he saw the intense glare. He gulped and settled for a quick salute.

"Thank you very much, Sir Meta Knight!" He blurted. "I won't fail you!"

"Remember that determination then, Pit." Meta Knight said. "You will need it." Before the angel could question what he meant by that, the puffball was already heading back to his room. He paused in his step to add, "I'll let you know when the lessons start. In the mean time, enjoy your free time."

Suddenly, the good feeling was gone.

* * *

><p>Honestly, I had this sitting on my computer for a bit. I know others published the idea of Meta Knight being banned in game already, so I feel less special. (1025/11)


	2. Grounded

I'm actually surprised by the amount of people who read this, and then actually reviewed. You guys rock so hard, I can't even.

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><p>Within a few days, Master Hand obliged Meta Knight's request and quickly built a new simulator. There were several strange controls on it which Pit didn't understand, but the knight assured him that he didn't need to know what they did. He also instructed him to dress lightly. Pit assumed Meta Knight wanted him to lighten his load to fly easier and so on the first day of special training, he showed up in his old toga—and tights for modesty. The puffball was already in the simulator when he arrived.<p>

"Let's begin." He said, not bothering to comment that his new pupil had been late. "Now, show me how you flap your wings."

Pit frowned, not quite understanding what Meta Knight meant by that. Still, he flapped slowly.

"As you normally would, Pit."

A few flapping exercises later, the puffball gave him a break while he wrote down something on a piece of paper.

"So no one really did teach you the basics."

"No sir."

"It shows. The way you move your wings is hazardous."

"Does it really matter?"

Meta Knight sighed. He gave a boring lecture on how to move his wings, which Pit ended up tuning out. Annoyed, the tiny knight stormed off. Before Pit could chase after him and apologize, he suddenly felt lighter. He glanced at the control panel, where he found Meta Knight changing the controls. The brunet tried a jump, delighted by how high he now reached. "I changed the gravity control in this room. Now try flapping."

Still high on his glee, Pit launched himself off the floor and flapped with all his might. Much to his surprise, he ended up flipping around and landed on his face. He looked up at his teacher, and he could only imagine the smug expression the puffball had behind his mask.

"And that is why it matters."

The rest of the lesson had followed the same pattern. Meta Knight tried giving instruction, Pit didn't understand, Meta Knight let Pit practice hands on, Pit failed, and repeat. Finally, after a couple of exhausting, frustrating, and painful hours, Meta Knight let Pit go. Link, Mario, Samus, and Kirby had been waiting for him with towels, water, and snacks.

"Seems like a rough first session." Link observed, dropping the towel on the angel's head.

"Could have been worse, he could have been a Chozo." Samus joked.

"I'd rather have a Chozo teach me than him." Pit grumbled.

"No, you don't." Samus said solemnly, her eyes blankly staring beyond the walls. "You really don't."

"Poyo poyo!" Kirby warbled in agreement. He gave Pit's leg a tight, but oddly comforting hug.

"You'll-a get the hang of it soon, Pit." Mario said, patting him on the back. "First lesson is-a always tough.

Pit sighed and dried off his sweat. "I'm starting to doubt it. I don't get a thing he's trying to teach me."

"Poyo?"

"It's his body shape, isn't it?" Link guessed, to which Pit blinked in surprise. "It took a while to get used to my wolf form. It was hard for Midna to guide me at first, but it worked out in the end."

An idea suddenly came across the angel.

"Hang on, I need to go talk to Master Hand."

Without another word, he brushed past his friends and ran off to see the master of the mansion. He skillfully maneuvered the hallways, dodging fellow smashers with great ease. Once he reached his destination, he skid to a halt, nearly falling over from the momentum. He barged into the office.

"Maste—Ahhh!"

"Ahhhh!"

Instead of finding Master Hand in the office, Pit came across Crazy Hand, who seemed to be rifling around the drawers.

"Don't tell anyone 'bout this." Crazy Hand said, drooping in shame.

"Er… What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Master Hand's stash!"

"Stash of what?"

"What stash?"

The angel suddenly understood how Meta Knight must have felt.

"When is Master Hand going to be back?" Pit asked. "I need to talk to him." Crazy Hand perked up, placing himself around Pit's shoulder.

"Pit, Pitty, Piticus." The left hand said in a sort of sleazy voice. "Anything he can do, I can do better. So, what can he do for you?"

"Uh… You know how Sir Meta Knight is trying to teach me to fly?" Crazy Hand wiggled his thumb, which Pit assumed meant he was trying to nod. "Well, his body isn't like mine, so I don't really get it when he tries to explain something to me."

"So you want to have a doo-hickey to give you two the same body shape?"

Pit grimaced, thinking about what it'd be like to be a ball. He imagined himself as Kirby after the puffball took his powers in the battle simulator. But he remembered how fond of Kirby Palutena was, so he decided it wasn't so bad. He swallowed his pride and hesitation and nodded.

"Yeah…"

"You got yourself a deal!" Crazy Hand slapped him on the back, sending him flying to the wall. "Whoops…" The hand picked up the poor Smasher he just hit and put him back on his feet. Quickly recovering from the shock, Pit grinned.

"Thanks a lot Crazy Hand!" With his deal set, he ran back to his room to clean up and get ready for his next match. Crazy Hand watched him go, and began to laugh sinisterly when he was out of sight.

"Guess I got some work to do, hehehehe."

* * *

><p>On their next lesson, Pit had actually made it on time, which seemed to make Meta Knight slightly less grumpy than he was on their first. Only slightly. He had Marth and Ike working the controls so he could be in the simulator with Pit. In the middle of the lesson that Pit continued to fail at, Crazy Hand materialized behind the two Fire Emblem Smashers.<p>

"HEY WHAT'S UP GUYS?" He greeted loudly. "HOW'S IT GOING?"

"It's going well." Marth greeted back uncomfortably. Crazy Hand slung himself around Ike, who took the sudden force just fine.

"Issat Meta and Pit in there?" The hand asked.

"Yeah, Meta Knight's teaching Pit how to fly." Ike answered, unfazed by the sudden interruption. Marth internally pitied the mercenary's vast experience with such behavior.

"And all these controls are for what now?" Crazy Hand wondered aloud.

"They're environmental settings." Marth responded, growing increasingly suspicious. Before he could question the disembodied left hand's motives, Crazy Hand suddenly shoved Ike at him, toppling the two over.

"HEY WHAT DOES THIS BUTTON DO!" The Altean prince pushed his fellow Fire Emblem character off of him just in time to see Crazy Hand point a button he could have sworn wasn't there a moment ago.

"Crazy Hand, no!" He watched in slow motion as the giant pointer finger made contact with the button, depressing it with a loud click. His heart stopped when nothing happened. However, his relief was short lived when he heard a terrible buzzing accompanied by Meta Knight's screams.

"Sir Meta Knight!"

A laser that the puffball and angel only noticed once it was activated fired a beam at the former. It sent him crashing to the back of the room, kicking up an impossibly thick cloud of dust. Pit along with the two other swordsmen ran to check on the knight. Pit reached him first, being the closest, blindly groping around until he felt something.

"Sir Meta Knight!" he coughed. "Are you—"

But he couldn't bring himself to finish that once he realized what he was feeling. Once the dust cleared, Marth and Ike both stared at the scene.

Meta Knight had been turned into a human.

"Hahaha, it's brilliant!" Crazy Hand cackled. "So this is the power of Fan Imagination? Perfectly chaotic, wonderful!"

"What did you do to him?" Ike demanded, pulling Ragnell out in an offensive position.

"I used the Humanizer Cannon on him." Crazy Hand shrugged, not threatened by the gesture. "Ah yes, a creation of the fans. While generally humanoid, his form is actually up to one's imagination."

"So we're seeing different things?" Marth pondered.

"Exactly!"

"So wait!" Pit exclaimed. "If we're all seeing him differently, what do you see him as?"

"Kid, I'm Crazy Hand." The hand flopped over lazily. "Do you really want to know?"

Deciding not to press his luck, the Angel Lander remained silent.

"Well, I'm done here, tootles!"

Before Ike could charge him, Crazy Hand balled himself into a fist and disappeared with a loud pop. "Damn him…" Ike cursed under his breath. He turned to Pit, who was still tending to Meta Knight. "How is he?"

"He's unconscious." Pit breathed. It was clear he was still panicking over the situation, but Ike could tell there was something else under his expression as well. Was it guilt? He wasn't sure what Pit could look guilty over. Perhaps he felt powerless to stop it since he was right by the knight's side when Crazy Hand fired the laser. Whatever was the case, the angel needed to be comforted.

"Let's take him to Dr. Mario then." Ike said, putting a hand on Pit's shoulder. The brunet nodded, sniffing slightly. He attempted to pull Meta Knight to his feet, but found he could not support his new weight. Ike quickly swooped in and caught Meta Knight around the waist and hoisted him over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. "You coming Marth?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes!" Marth hastily replied. He seemed to have been snapped out of some deep thought. Thinking little of it, the three rushed to the clinic.

"Welcome everybody" Dr. Mario greeted, surprised by Ike's cargo. "Who do we-a have here?"

"It's Sir Meta Knight." Pit answered. "Crazy Hand did something weird to him and now he's human."

"Mamma Mia!" The Italian doctor exclaimed. "Put him on the-a bed over there."

Ike unceremoniously dumped the body on the hospital bed, which made a soft fwump sound from the sudden weight.

"Don't you think you should be more gentle with him?" Marth teased.

"I doubt he'd like it if I did treat him gently." Ike shrugged. "Remember how fussy he was about getting picked up after that one scuffle with the Primids?"

Pit felt himself shrinking in the background as Ike and Marth fondly recalled their adventures with the now human Meta Knight on the hospital bed. He had his own, with Mario, Link, Kirby, and Yoshi, but hearing the stories about his new teacher made him feel left out. Meta Knight had departed to chase after the Halberd before Pit had met the two Fire Emblem swordsmen, so his previous experience with the masked puffball was limited at best. He remembered a brief introduction before being shooed onto the Falcon Flyer before the knight boarded Samus' ship. Still, the stories fascinated the angel. It was still surprising to hear about how Meta Knight would cook all of their meals, always taking over for Marth out of chivalry and Ike to ensure each meal would not consist of just meat.

Story time was interrupted when Meta Knight stirred and moaned softly. His hand slowly wandered to his head to rub out his migraine.

"What…" he stopped himself immediately. Had that mask not obscured his face, Pit was certain that Meta Knight's eyes dilated in shock. As quick as he was on the battlefield, Meta Knight was quick to realize the change just from touch. "_What._"

"Crazy Hand turned you into a human, Sir Meta Knight." Marth informed. With another groan, Meta Knight's hand found itself back on his forehead.

"He was always looking for a way to experiment on me." The knight groaned.

"W—What do you mean?" Pit asked.

"Since I've been 'banned from tournaments'," There was a hint of annoyance in his voice at that. "Crazy Hand thinks I have enough time to help him with his experiments."

"He said something about the power of the Fan Imagination." Ike recalled.

"Master Hand is still in the process of planning a new tournament." Marth elaborated. "But Crazy Hand is… well, crazy, and can't stay still quiet for a long period of time. He tries to do a lot of things to the current tournament to 'liven things up'. He did this earlier. Remember the Move Swaps incident?"

"Don't remind me about the Move Swaps." The mercenary shuddered at the memory. "I still can't fight Pikachu or Toon Link without getting nightmares."

"Indeed…"

Dr. Mario broke the silence immediately. "If you-a don't mind, I would-a like to run-a some tests on-a Meta Knight."

"How long will it take?" Pit demanded. "And what do you mean some tests! I won't let you do things that Crazy Hand would do to him!"

"Calm down Pit." Ike said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "He means a physical exam."

"But—"

"I will be fine, Pit." Meta Knight sighed. "Dr. Mario isn't Crazy Hand."

Grumbling to himself, the angel gave the knight a lingering glance before complying. He slid off his chair and followed Ike and Marth outside. The two blue haired swordsmen gave each other a look and nodded before Ike began to push the brunet angel down the hair.

"Come on Pit, let's take a breather." He grunted, leaving no room for him to argue. "We'll be back in an hour Marth!"

Ike continued to shove and nudge Pit until he complied and walked by his side.

"I know you feel bad about not being able to stop it, but it'll work out somehow." The blue haired mercenary finally said. "Meta Knight's tough, he'll survive this. In fact, I don't think he'd want you to worry about him."

Pit's eyes never left the floor and let Ike guide him whenever he was about to bump into something. He didn't want to tell him that it was his fault. He should have known better than to trust Crazy Hand. To make it worse, Ike and Marth were Meta Knight's most trusted friends at the tournament. How would he react to the news that he was the reason Meta Knight got experimented on?

If he had looked up, he would have seen Ike frown at him a little. "Looks like someone needs a sundae." Before he could protest, the Crimean directed him to the kitchen and set him down at the table. The mercenary proceeded to ransack the refrigerator.

"I'm not in the mood for sweets." Pit finally managed to croak out. Ike paused and stared at him.

"Why said anything about sweets?" he asked, quite baffled. Pit swiveled around to see him cradle a bowl of gravy left over from last night, making the angel blanch. On the counter were the mashed potatoes. "I'm making a meatball sundae."

The brunet smiled in spite of himself, eventually caving into laughter.

"A—A meatball sundae!" He laughed. "What would you do about sprinkles!"

"I'd use pepper, duh." Ike answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Give it a chance, it's good!" He took out two ceramic bowls from the cabinets, filling them halfway with mashed potatoes before delicately arranging the meatballs. When he was satisfied by the arrangement, he drizzled the concoctions with gravy and placed them in the microwaves. Once they were finished heating, Ike set a bowl in front of Pit along with a pepper grinder.

"Pepper as you need it." He instructed as he fetched some spoons. Giggling, the angel sprinkled a little bit of pepper over the monstrosity, watching the black flecks land and slide on the gravy topping. Once armed with a spoon, Pit carefully dug into it, picking up a good balance of meatball, gravy, and potatoes and gave Ike a look. The Fire Emblem protagonist was already spooning away, looking up only to encourage Pit to take the bite with his eyes. The Angel Lander sighed and began to eat as well. They ate in silence, the only noises in the kitchen being the sound of the spoons clinking against their bowls and the occasional loud chew. Ike predictably finished first and watched Pit follow behind.

"Thanks…" the angel said quietly.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"A little."

"Good. Eating helps clear your mind of your troubles and stress, but sometimes it doesn't do it completely. You've got to finish the job and just let it go for now."

"But I…"

"No buts Pit. Buts won't solve a thing." Unfortunately, Pit giggled. Ike had to pause, belated realizing how badly phrased that was. Instead of correcting himself, he decided to roll with it. Pit was starting to smile more and act as he normally would, which made him happy in return. Pit was soon roaring with laughter at all the horrible puns and butt jokes no matter how immature they really were. They eventually reached the point where they could no longer make any jokes through their laughter and silently agreed to let it die down before they could speak again.

"Thanks Ike." Pit finally said after calming down. "I really needed that."

"No problem." Ike playfully tussled his hair, moving Pit's laurels around in the process. Pit giggle-snorted as he readjusted them back to their proper place. "There probably is a lot on your mind, but there's no point in fussing over it. Marth told me the best way to deal with Crazy Hand is to roll with the punches. Don't let him see that he's won."

With that advice in mind, the angel nodded. "I won't lose to him then!"

"Good." The swordsman chuckled. "Let's go check on him now."

* * *

><p>Once Ike and Pit returned, Dr. Mario had the results ready.<p>

"Okay, it-a turns out he'll-a be okay." The doctor announced, much to their relief. "The effects should-a wear off anytime soon."

"How soon?" Marth inquired.

"I'm-a not-a sure, but I give it-a couple-a days."

It was interesting to see Meta Knight in this state. From Pit's perspective, the former puffball wore a half-mask, revealing the lower portion of his face, making it much easier to read his emotions. His mouth was pressed into a tight frown. He seemed annoyed and frustrated that he would have to stay like that for a few days.

"It won't be that bad." Pit blurted. "I mean, it would be easier to learn how to fly with a live demonstration, right?"

"Yeah, and now you can reach the top shelf to get your almond cookies without using the ladder." Ike added. Meta Knight shot him a look, that even with his mask on, spelled pure fury and embarrassment. "Oh come on, everyone knows!"

"I've-a seen it a few times!"

"Not helping, _doctor_."

Everyone but Meta Knight laughed, and eventually even the knight was coaxed into smiling.

"Well-a, since you're-a fine, you-a can go." Dr. Mario coughed, attempting to maintain his professional image. He failed, and let out a small smile, which he hid behind a clipboard. Meta Knight tilted his head a little, as if he were rolling his eyes. He turned to put his feet on the ground, but as he stood up, he slid and fell.

"S—Sir Meta Knight?"

"I think we might have to teach him how to walk before he can teach you how to fly." Marth whispered to Pit.

And that is how Pit became Meta Knight's mentor for a day.

* * *

><p>Ikea (a store that I just realized conveniently has Ike's name in it) has (had?) meatball sundaes in their food court. Once you get over the fact that it's not ice cream, it's actually pretty good.<p>

And yes, I went there with the move swaps. If you don't know about the move swaps at this point, I feel bad for you, but at the same time, please don't look beyond Pikaman. They can get pretty terrifying.

I'm going to end this note with a really bad comparison. As for Meta Knight's human look varying between characters, think of Kingdom Hearts: 365/2 Days. For those of you who haven't played it, a character in that game took on different appearances per person. So some people saw this character as their true self, some saw them as a puppet, etc. (12/22/11)


	3. Light Weight

Thanks for reviewing guys! I hit a two-reviewer combo, so I hope you guys stay C:

* * *

><p>For the bulk of the week, Meta Knight hid in the shadows, canceled all of his matches, and isolated himself in his room. He even barred visitors, save for Marth and Ike since the three swordsmen shared the room. Much to Pit's frustration, he skipped their flight lesson in favor of whatever he did in there to pass the time.<p>

"Sir Meta Knight, I brought you some food!" the angel called as he knocked on the door. "If you don't get it, I'll let Kirby eat it!" There was no answer. Sighing, Pit tipped the plate over, allowing the contents to fall into the said pink puffball's open mouth. Kirby poyoed sadly, tugging on the end of his exomis. "I know Kirby, I'm worried too…"

Just as he was about to leave, Ike rounded the corner, clearly exhausted after his four-way match with Bowser, Pikachu, and Fox. "Oh, hi Pit, Kirby. Here to see Meta Knight?"

"Yeah, but he won't answer."

The mercenary rolled his eyes and swiped his finger on the print sensor. The door automatically opened, revealing a darkened room with a single, dim light source. Pit heard Meta Knight gag and quickly duck under a blanket in a blur.

"Did I get you without your mask on again?" Ike chuckled. He put Ragnell down by his lumpy bed. Then, he picked up the thin metal mask from a neatened dresser and threw it like a frisbee at its owner's feet. A hand came out of the blanketed mass, pulling the mask within its depths.

"I must request that you not treat my belongings so roughly." Meta Knight said, as he pulled off the blanket. His signature mask now firmly in place over his face, his gaze fell to Pit and Kirby. Kirby blinked at him, not recognizing his figure, but startled by the familiar voice.

"Meda Nigh?" Kirby curiously cooed. He flopped over to the man, staring up. Meta Knight stared back and placed a hand on Kirby's head. "Meda Nigh!"

"It is I, Kirby." He confirmed gently. "Though my form may be different, I am still the same person." The pink puffball gurgled happily, nudging himself further into the knight's now larger hand.

"What have you been doing, Sir Meta Knight?" Pit asked. Meta Knight cleared his throat, removing his hand from a disappointed Kirby.

"I was studying humanoid flight." He admitted. He gestured to the screen, which displayed an angel in flight. However, the video was slowed down to the point that he could watch the movements frame by frame. "It has come to my attention that my knowledge of how you're supposed to fly is not adequate. It is an embarrassment if I am to call myself your teacher if I do not even know how to instruct you."

"He's been watching that video obsessively." Ike yawned. "I'm hitting the showers."

"Please do. You reek of sweat."

"There's nothing wrong with a good hard sweat!" The mercenary protested. He lifted up his armpit to sniff. Unfortunately, the stink the masked Dream Lander described was powerful enough to reach Pit's nose and disgust Kirby. "Geez, I get it, you guys don't have to make that kind of face!" Grumbling to himself, the spiky haired swordsman grabbed a change of clothes from his drawers and headed off to the bathroom. Once he was gone, Meta Knight grabbed a can of air freshener and sprayed the room with a generous amount rose scent.

"Honestly…" he sighed. Pit wrinkled his nose at the onslaught of the artificial scent as the knight sat back down in front of the TV. Kirby took advantage of his position and bounced into his lap, wiggling around to get comfortable. Pit nervously shifted his weight between his feet.

"May I join you, sir?" he inquired.

"You're more than welcome to." The former puffball answered without taking his gaze from the screen. He did scoot over, careful not to disturb Kirby's comfortable position and Pit plopped himself next to Meta Knight. The video playing seemed to be a little dated, judging by the color quality.

"Hey, this is one of the flight competitions from Angel Land!" the angel exclaimed. He recognized the uniforms. The sash the video competitor was wearing indicated that he was the previous year's champion. When the picture suddenly switched to another view, Meta Knight rewound the tape and replayed, quickly slowing it down once again.

"Watch carefully at the way his wings move." He instructed. Pit nodded and glued his eyes to the set. He always watched the races for the sheer excitement of the competition. He would have never thought about using them to analyze movement. It was a little funny watching it in slow motion. The movement became a slow step-by-step process rather than a graceful swoop, but he soon understood what his new flight mentor had meant by wing movement. Rather than an up and down movement, the champion racer's wings rotated around.

"It's like a swimmer's arm." Pit remarked. He heard Meta Knight make an amused noise and looked up. The man was actually smiling.

"Very good." He praised. "This video is a good example of a continuous speed. When you are able to maintain air, I will teach you how to speed up and slow down, and even how to do a barrel roll."

"A barrel roll? Really?"

"It is a basic evasive maneuver. However, it does require a bit of skill if you're not used to flying."

"Well I'll prove myself ready for it soon enough!"

"I look forward to it."

Meta Knight gave Pit a gentle pat on the head. He suddenly realized why Kirby had enjoyed the contact with the knight's hand; it was surprisingly warm and comfortable. He was tempted to lean into the touch like a cat, but he realized how strange that would be and resisted. He too felt disappointed when he felt the man remove his hand.

"Can we practice now?" Pit asked.

"I suppose I can spare some time." Meta Knight said. "Very well then, let's go."

The angel watched him stand up on wobbly legs. He was reminded of a film where a mermaid asked for legs, and initially had trouble walking on them. And like the lovesick mermaid, the former puffball threatened to fall over. Pit immediately went over to catch him before he fell over, much to the proud knight's chagrin. The brunet grinned cheekily and helped him stand.

"Allow me." He could hear those yellow eyes roll under the cool metal mask.

"Of course, honorable Captain." Meta Knight replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. Unfortunately, the dripping sarcasm managed to sail higher than he could fly over Pit's head, making him grin wider.

"I try!"

The knight opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to decide against it. At that moment, the bathroom door swung open, revealing a refreshed Ike. It was the first time Pit ever saw him outside of his full attire. His coat hadn't even been closed yet, even though his trademark headband was already wrapped around his head.

"Am I interrupting something?" the mercenary coughed.

"He fell over trying to stand up." Pit happily informed. He gave a loud yelp when Meta Knight violently pulled on his wing in retaliation. Both ended up falling over in a tangle of limbs. The Crimean sighed and pulled his roommate from the mess, sweeping an arm under the former puffball's legs, and lifting him in a bridal hold.

"Ike…"

"Where to?" Ike asked, ignoring the dangerous tone in Meta Knight's voice.

Pit blinked up at the blue haired swordsman. "I—I'll lead…"

* * *

><p>Several catcalls and Meta Knight's quiet suicide declarations later, the trio made it to the special simulator. Ike carelessly dumped his load on the floor, quickly bidding the two farewell before bolting back to his room. Meta Knight shakily stood up, cursing his friend. He limped over to the controls and slammed on the gravity controls.<p>

"Flap, but don't kick off yet." He commanded as he fiddled with the controls.

Pit nodded. Imagining the champion flyer's wings, he rotated his wings slowly. It felt strange at first, and then natural.

"Very good. Kick off, then flap like that."

Pit shot off like an arrow, surprised by the lack of gravity. He was much higher than he ever jumped in a single leap. He forgot completely about flapping and slowly plummeted back down.

"Again, and flap this time."

The angel stuck his tongue out at the masked man, but kicked off regardless. He flapped, and found himself sustaining height. Excited, he flapped harder and faster, ignoring Meta Knight's cries to stop. He suddenly felt something pull on his leg, violently jerking him down. Instinctively turning himself, he whirled around to see his flight mentor, struggling to keep a hover while staring down at him.

"What was that for!" Pit huffed.

"You were going to hit the ceiling!" Meta Knight shouted.

Pit looked up, blinking at how close the top of the room had actually been. In his excitement, he forgot they were in a simulation room. Satisfied by his acknowledgement, Meta Knight stopped flapping and landed shakily. Pit followed suit sheepishly.

"You need to learn how to control yourself." The knight said harshly. For some reason, those words struck the angel deeply. He didn't quite understand it, but he felt as if he disappointed him. Meta Knight stared at him and sighed. "Alright, we'll take a break to cool your head off."

"But Sir Meta Knight, we just started!" Pit protested.

"Your… enthusiasm is getting the better of you. I understand your desire to fly, but if you do not understand that you need to ground yourself, you will get hurt."

"I… I understand…"

Meta Knight sighed again. "Don't make that face."

He only realized he was pouting when the man pointed it out. But that expression was instantly wiped when Meta Knight put his hand on his head and ruffled his hair.

"Let's go."

The angel obediently followed him out, noticing that he was starting to walk by himself. He quickly ran to the other's side when he started wobbling, throwing an arm around his back to steady him. The knight muttered a thanks, much to his delight.

"Where to, Sir Meta Knight?" He asked enthusiastically.

"To the kitchen, for some snacks."

It was strange trying to synchronize walking with Meta Knight. Both had worked alone for quite some time, and although the entire Subspace disaster had forced them to work with others, they could not find a clockwork pace. They were constantly stepping on each other's feet, and if they had been attacked, they were sure to do more damage to each other than the enemies would. To their relief, they bumped into Marth

"Hello Pit, hello Sir Meta Knight!" the Altean prince greeted cheerfully. "Are you two done with the training already?"

"We're taking a break, my lord." Meta Knight answered.

"Well then, would you like to join us outside then? Ike, Link, and I are having a picnic." Marth offered. The knight considered, and nodded.

"If it's you three, I suppose that I can." He answered. "Pit?"

"If you'll have me there, Prince Marth!" The angel chirped.

"You're more than welcome to come, Pit." The blue-haired prince confirmed. "I'm sure Link would enjoy your company." The brunet cheered happily, much to Marth's amusement. Meta Knight rolled his eyes attempted to untangle himself from Pit. They fell over in opposite directions, though the knight landed in Marth's arms while the angel hit the floor. "Maybe it's best if I take him."

"Thank you, Lord Marth." Meta Knight muttered.

"Let's go Pit."

"O—Okay…"

Pit watched the two blue-haired men walk with immediate synchronization, and couldn't help but feel a little jealous. How was it that they could easily match each other's pace when he and Meta Knight could not? He was spending a lot of time in the flight simulator with the knight, and yet, he knew little to nothing about his teacher. Marth and Meta Knight must have spent more time bonding than he previously thought. He knew for a fact the two were together even before Ike showed up to help them. Even so, that wasn't enough time to become that close. He wondered how much the Altean prince knew about the puffball. Thanks to their uncanny synchronization, the three quickly made it outside. Pit spotted Ike and Link waiting for them, the Hylian occasionally swatting Ike's hand away from the picnic basket. Pit bounced towards them, waving his arms excitedly.

"Link! Ike!" He greeted, plopping himself next to the blond.

"How was training today?" Link asked.

"It was great! I actually flew!"

"With what gravity setting?" Ike inquired.

"Twenty-five percent gravity." Meta Knight answered.

"That's awfully generous of you, Sir Meta Knight." Marth commented. He paused, looking at the knight, and seemed to debate something mentally. Finally, he put a hand on Meta Knight's head. To everyone's surprise, it went straight through, stopping somewhere in the man's chest.

"L—Lord Marth?"

"I wanted to try something." He said rather cheerfully for someone who put his hand through another person's chest. "It seems I'm right."

"A—About?" Pit dared to ask.

"That you guys see Sir Meta Knight as someone tall." The prince answered. "Where do you feel my hand anyway, Sir Meta Knight?"

"…Strangely enough, I feel it on top of my head."

Marth smiled and moved his hand around. Ike and Link made faces that looked like they were going to throw up. Pit covered his eyes, but peered between his fingers at Meta Knight's head. He could see the man's hair fold where Marth's fingers would be and move in sync with the prince's petting.

"That is so cool but gross at the same time." The angel commented.

"Please stop that Marth." Link requested quietly. Dismayed, Marth pulled away. Meta Knight immediately used his fingers to comb his hair flat once again.

"Well let's get to eating!" Ike declared after a pregnant pause. With speeds faster than Sonic the Hedgehog, the mercenary opened the picnic basket, threw the salad sitting on top to Link's lap, and ransacked the meats.

"I put the salad on top for a reason." Link scowled.

"If I… had to wait that long… I'm going… for the good stuff… first." Ike said between bites.

"You need to have a balanced meal, Ike." Meta Knight said with a frown. "You've been eating only meat dishes as of late."

"Says the guy who had pudding for dinner last night."

"I didn't just have pudding for dinner!"

"There was at least ten pudding cups in the trash when I woke up this morning." Marth added. The prince poured hot tea in five Styrofoam cups and distributed them amongst the picnickers. Meta Knight took his without complaint, though Pit could sense the murder in his eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with having pudding for dinner." The angel argued. "Lady Palutena would let me have whatever I wanted as long as I could still fulfill my duties."

"Indeed." Meta Knight said, smiling at the brunet. To his pleasure, the knight pat him on the head.

"You really like it when he pats you." Link commented.

"There's just something about it that feels so comfortable and right." Pit admitted.

"Hey Meta Knight, pat me." Ike asked, lowering his head. The knight paused as if he were raising an eyebrow, but complied. After a moment, something about Ike's face changed, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "You have a father's hand, Meta Knight."

"That's a first." The former puffball coughed. "But it's a sound theory. I do consider one of my men a son." He sighed and looked up at the sky. "I wonder how he's doing."

"I'm sure he's doing fine." Marth said, putting a hand in Meta Knight's shoulder, an action the others could not bear to watch. "He's probably with your other soldiers, rooting for you."

"Thank you, Lord Marth."

Pit peered at Meta Knight's face when the Altean prince withdrew his hand from the knight's shoulder. He never knew what it was like to have a father. Palutena had been the closest to a mother he had, and she was growing into somewhat of an older sister who lives to tease him. At the same time, she was his boss, and her praise was very flattering. But the look on Ike's face when the former puffball put his hand on his head stuck in his head. It was a look of accomplishment. When he thought about it, he did feel some strange feeling of glee whenever Meta Knight pat his head. He wondered if he felt the same way Ike felt.

"Well, let's continue eating." Meta Knight said, breaking his train of thought. "And Ike? Eat those vegetables."

"Okay, _Dad._"

* * *

><p>Aside from Marth sticking his hand in Meta Knight on multiple occasions, the picnic was rather pleasant. Halfway through, the effects of the humanization ray wore off and Meta Knight shrank when Marth was leaning on his shoulder, causing the blue haired swordsman to fall over painfully. After it was over, Pit volunteered to help Link clean up while the other swordsmen went to find Master Hand and report that the effects on Meta Knight were over.<p>

"So what are Meta Knight's plans for you?" Link asked. "Is he still going to teach you the same way?"

"Probably." Pit answered, shrugging. He folded up the picnic blanket, tucking it in with the dishes. "He didn't do much different from the last time." The Hylian swordsman lifted up the basket and ruffled Pit's hair. The angel immediately noticed the difference between Link's hand and Meta Knight's. He didn't feel that giant relief that he and Ike felt with Meta Knight. In fact, Link's hand was much friendlier, but still held more wisdom than his own. If Meta Knight had a father's hand, what kind of hand did the green clad warrior have?

"Pit? Are you coming?"

As he pondered these mysteries of the universe, Link had already begun walking back towards the mansion. Pit leaped up in the air and ran to join his friend. They put the dry supplies away and washed the dishes together, laughing as they flicked dish suds at each other. They were interrupted by metal boots clicking against the tile. Pit turned around to greet his flight mentor.

"Sir… Meta… Knight?"

Instead of looking at the puffball, Pit stared at the tall boots, then to the face of the man wearing them. He was confused. Meta Knight changed back during the picnic, he remembered watching Marth fall on the poor puffball. However, he stood before him, taller than the angel once again.

"Master Hand wanted to experiment with the strength of the Humanization Ray." The knight grumbled. "To help you learn how to fly better, and to keep me fighting. With any luck, it should wear off in a few hours."

"That's awfully nice of him." Link commented. "Congratulations Pit."

Meta Knight sighed at the Hylian's words of encouragement to his pupil and sank into a chair.

"So you better appreciate the next few lessons." He said sternly.

Pit gulped at the seriousness of his voice, but grinned. He was ready for the challenge.

* * *

><p>So, how about that official Meta Knight ban back in January? I still find it hilarious. I guess that makes him the strongest warrior in the galaxy. (516/12)


	4. Visitation

Please keep in mind that unless it says complete, I'll still be updating. You cannot accelerate the speed of updates either since these things take time unless I get inspired to write quickly.

This applies to all my fics. So please stop asking me to update From the Heavens, because it's on rotation. This means you, anonymous user *cheesy. I know you're not going to read this, and if you review this story still asking to update From the Heavens, I swear I'm going to make the next chapter about my feels for Kid Loki.

Sorry for the wait. I'll stop being Grouchy Cat for now.

* * *

><p>The humanization ray Master Hand created from the imperfect humanization cannon proved to be what Meta Knight and Pit needed to teach the latter how to fly while letting the former fight. It provided the former with a temporary transformation while allowing him to fight freely as he normally would. Pit was beginning to understand the physics behind it, but a major problem persisted. His wings were still too small to support his weight.<p>

"Can't you just zap me with that cannon and make them bigger?" The angel whined. His mentor sighed and waited for the effects of the humanization ray to wear off before responding.

"Crazy Hand would have to build a new system completely, and he hasn't been happy since Master Hand modified his first one." He answered patiently. "And even if he did build one, the effects wouldn't be permanent and might wear off while you're still in the air."

Pit gulped, imagining the long fall. Meta Knight put a reassuring hand on his foot.

"Don't worry, we'll work on a more permanent solution."

As it turned out, the more permanent solution was to force his wings to grow. Both were a little fuzzy on how to hone that part of the body particularly, but Meta Knight had seen many creatures on Dream Land bulk up specific parts of their body through weight lifting. Ike certainly supported the hypothesis, commenting that the warriors from home who wielded large swords and heavy axes tended to have bigger arms than those who chose spears and lighter swords. When Link said something about having stronger arms from wrestling goats down, that really convinced Pit to do whatever his mentor wanted to grow his wings. Unfortunately there was still quite a bit of awkwardness in the technical details.

"Were you fishing in the library?" Falco sneered.

"It's to build up his wing's muscle strength." Meta Knight defended. It had been his idea to throw a small net over Pit's wings and weight them down with books in the center.

"Why don't you just get him to lift weights with those chicken wings?"

"He seems to lack the strange anatomy that allows your feather fingers to be so."

"Hey, my feather fingers are awesome!"

"I never said they weren't."

"Cool it Falco." Fox snapped. "We're all civilized people here."

The anthropomorphic bird rolled his eyes but shut up as his teammate requested. Meta Knight and Pit left the common area in a huff.

"This looks ridiculous, are you sure there's no other way?" the angel hissed under his breath.

"It's the best I can come up with right now." The puffball said innocently, which was a terrifying combination in Pit's mind.

"Are you still mad about the humanization experiments?" Pit questioned. Somehow Meta Knight found out that Pit had been the one to ask Crazy Hand for the contraption in the first place. Or at least, Pit had been the one to put the idea in the hand's mind. Either way, he was responsible for the humiliation he endured.

"Whatever makes you think that?"

The brunet really wanted to rip off that mask to see confirm if he was smiling. Spending time with the puffball cleared up several misconceptions. For one, he was pettier than Pit initially believed. Meta Knight claimed it to be a trait of all Dream Landers, but the angel was unconvinced. Pit wasn't above being petty himself, as he discovered that his mentor had an enormous sweet tooth and held it against him. Regardless of the mutual childish behavior, he felt strangely happy in his presence and soon began to accompany him outside of their training. Link had once said that was a sign of a good friendship, but Pit wondered if their relationship was beginning to get deeper than that. He couldn't get Ike's comment about Meta Knight's fatherly hands out of his mind.

"Pit?"

The inquisitive tone of his mentor's voice snapped him from his thoughts.

"Y—Yes?"

"Just checking."

Meta Knight hummed thoughtfully and paused in his steps when he heard the distinctive pitter-pattering of Kirby's feet running towards him. The knight swiftly side stepped his pink counterpart, allowing the young warrior to slam right into Pit's legs and topple him over. While Pit silently fumed over how intentional that was, Meta Knight snatched the paper Kirby had been waving around.

"What's this?" He asked.

"Poyo poy!"

"It's visitor's week already?"

Pit immediately grabbed the paper from his hands.

"Are you for reals?" He demanded, eyes darting across the flyer. Sure enough, it was an advertisement for a tournament during visitor's week. "How'd you get this Kirby? Master Hand didn't even send a memo out yet."

"Poyo poyo! Poyo pooooooooy poyo! Poyo poyo poyoi."

Meta Knight visibly flinched. "You seriously—I cannot believe you."

"What? What did he say?"

"He said he stole it from Master Hand's desk." Meta Knight translated bluntly. "He thought—never mind, it's not important." There was a hollowness in his eyes that Pit dare not question.

"Wow, visitor's week." Pit said, trying to steer the conversation away from a possibly horrible memory. "I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't seen Lady Palutena in a long time!"

"Isn't she in your Final Smash?" the knight questioned.

"That's just a projection of her." The brunet shrugged. "Kind of like King Dedede's thing where he pulls a Waddle Dee out of nowhere."

"Ah yes, it would be disastrous if we had to live with that many Waddle Dees."

"Poyo."

"So who are you inviting Sir Meta Knight?" Pit asked.

"You'll see." He answered in his usual unhelpful manner. The angel scowled, earning a chuckle from his flight mentor. "What good will it do you to know? You don't know of this person."

"You know, sometimes I hate you."

"I know."

* * *

><p>With Visitor's Week looming ahead, everything intensified. Training became more rigorous, both in the arenas and in the flight simulator. Each fighter wanted to prove themselves worthy of being at the mansion, especially in front of their peers who may have not been invited to fight as a Smasher. Cleaning duties became just as tiring; Peach wanted everything spotless to make a good impression. The punishments for making a mess became harsher that even Wario thought twice about making mischief. He still bore the bruises when he "accidentally" dropped a slice of pizza on the carpet in front of Mushroom Kingdom Princess. Everyone shuddered at the memory; even Samus had been disturbed by the brutality. Despite everything descending into insanity and chaos around him, Meta Knight had grown strangely cheerful with each passing day.<p>

"It's weird." Pit confessed to Link. "It's like someone's been slipping him happy pills or something."

"It must be the prospect of seeing his guest." The Hylian guessed. "I know I'm looking forward to seeing Illia and the kids again."

"She's your childhood friend, right?" Pit asked, suddenly recalling the trophy of a blonde girl.

"That's right, we grew up together in Ordon."

"Must be nice to have a childhood friend." Samus muttered. "Mine was a rabbit."

"Seems like a lot of us are bringing our childhood friends." Ike commented. "I invited Soren and Mist, and I know for sure Marth invited his. The guy was so flustered."

"I wonder… Did Sir Meta Knight invite _his_ childhood friend?" Pit pondered aloud. The three stared at him in silence, all of them unwilling to voice their thoughts.

"Did he even have a childhood?" Samus finally blurted.

"…He had to grow up somehow." Link said.

The four paused to imagine Meta Knight as a child and silently agreed to never bring that subject up again.

"Either way." Ike coughed, breaking the silence. "We don't know for sure who is coming until they're all here, right?"

"That's right." Link quickly agreed. "We shouldn't get worked up over who or what might be coming."

"Just focus on beating on each other?" Samus teased. "So the status quo here? Sounds like a good plan to me."

"You don't have to put it like that…"

Suddenly, the sound of an overly sweet voice haunted the halls.

"I hear a group of four who should be doing chores right now~"

They looked at each other and scattered like pigeons. Luckily for them, most of the decorations were still in boxes, stacked neatly in each room before going up. It wasn't an uncommon sight to find other Smashers taking a cue from Snake and using them to hide behind. The ensuing week had become a fierce stealth battle. Whoever could not hide was subject to the most chores. The reigning champion was Luigi, which had been an odd outcome for the younger plumber was not even actively hiding. Snake, Lucario, and Meta Knight were close runner ups. The surprise had been Wario's ability to become inconspicuous, proving once and for all that he could do anything as long as it got him out of doing work.

Others didn't prove as lucky. Pit couldn't manage to keep his wings from twitching whenever he heard Peach lurking around, and the telltale sound of something moving against cardboard always gave him away. In the end, the boxes came down and everyone was forced to help out around the mansion. Even training had been cut down to make time to clean and garden. Soon, the decorations were up, the guest suites were ready, and everyone was anxious to see their beloved.

"It's been a long week." Master Hand began as he gathered the Smashers at the main gates. "But it's finally here. I officially declare the gates open for Visitor's Week!"

With a snap of his fingers, the golden gates slowly lurched open. The crowd filed in, slow at first, but rushing excitedly to meet their representatives.

"Lady Palutena!" Pit exclaimed, spotting his patron deity. The green haired Goddess waved as he ran over to her and gave her a crushing hug. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"And I'm glad to see you too Pit." She giggled, returning the hug with equal bone crushing strength. "Have you been winning your battles?"

"I'm sorry Lady Palutena, I didn't win all of them."

"That's alright Pit, there's no shame in defeat." She said gently. She pulled away and looked straight into his eyes. "You've already brought a lot of honor to me and the army. Thanks to you, we're back on the map!"

The angel was stunned. It was true that Skyworld had been grossly ignored over the years. Hearing that he brought attention and interest back to his home world made him swell up with pride.

"I'll keep doing my best here, Lady Palutena. For you, and for everyone!"

"That's what I like to hear. So, show me around the place!"

Pit happily linked arms with his goddess and lead her around. He showed her all of the training facilities, the fight simulator, and the gardens. They took a break by the pool, dipping their feet in the jacuzzi, which felt almost as good as the hot springs in Angel Land. Finally, Pit brought Palutena to the flight simulator. The Goddess took a moment to appreciate the technology of the room.

"This is where Sir Meta Knight teaches me how to fly." Pit explained. "There's this gravity thing where it makes me lighter so my wings can support my weight."

"I'm glad he agreed." Palutena said. "Friends are the best teachers, after all."

"He's more than just that." The angel blurted without thinking. Palutena gave him a look, causing him to flush. "No—Not like that! I mean…" He stumbled over his words, though the goddess waited patiently for him to find the right ones. "Well, Ike said something about his hands and how they're really fatherly, so I thought, man! He's like a father to me."

"Is that so?"

The sudden deep voice made Pit jump and spin around. Much to his chagrin, Meta Knight had been standing behind them, and the way his visitor, a Waddle Dee with a sailor's cap, was fuming suggested they had been there for quite some time.

"Sir Meta Knight!" the angel squeaked a few octaves higher than his normal voice. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Just… how long have you been standing there?"

"For a while now." He confirmed with amusement in his voice. He seemed to take pity on his flight pupil and glance up at the green haired woman. "You must be the Goddess Palutena. I am Meta Knight. This is my crew member, Sailor Dee." The puffball gave the Waddle Dee a pat on the back, who immediately bowed.

"N—Nice to meet you!" Sailor Dee sputtered.

"It's nice to meet you too." Palutena giggled.

"A—Are you really a goddess?"

Meta Knight hissed at the young Dream Lander under his breath for his rudeness, but Palutena only smiled.

"That's right."

"That's so cool!" Sailor Dee exclaimed with a burst of enthusiasm. "Not as cool as Meta Knight, but still so cool!"

The knight coughed, looking to the side. "If you'll excuse us." Before Pit could say anything, Meta Knight stalked off to avoid further embarrassment. Sailor Dee jumped at his sudden departure, but stayed long enough to glare at the angel.

"I'll be watching you mister!" He said. "I'm Meta Knight's favorite, so don't even think about trying to butter him up!"

With that, the Waddle Dee turned on his heels and chased after the masked knight. Palutena politely waited until he was gone before she burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh goodness!" She laughed. "Looks like you just made a new rival, Pit!"

As he watched his goddess double over in her mirth, Pit huffed and crossed his arms. "Yeah, thanks…" But the feeling in his chest was too unnerving for his tastes. It had been the same feeling he had when he watched Marth and Meta Knight walk in sync. Was he actually jealous of that that little Sailor Dee?

"Pit, you're pouting." Palutena teased and poked his cheek. "It's unbecoming of an angel."

"I—I'm not pouting!" Pit protested. He realized his lip had extruded out even more after that and tried to rub the embarrassment from his face.

"Don't worry Pit, I'll admit I'm even a little jealous." She confessed. She smiled at his curious expression before continuing. "The older gods never taught me anything. I had to figure out all the works with… With _her_. So I know how hard it is for you when everyone else seems to be so distant, and what a blessing it is when someone finally does take the time to pay attention to you."

"I already know what a blessing it is." Pit countered. "You pay attention to me. You guide me through when things are rough. You're _my_ Sir Meta Knight before I even met him! I mean, if he were a lady and a goddess."

Palutena laughed and pulled Pit into a hug. "Thanks… Sailor _Pee_."

"Hey!"

They were interrupted by someone clearing his throat. Ike was standing by the entrance, brow raised. Behind him were a brunette girl in an orange tunic and white skirt and what Pit guessed was a boy in black robes.

"Hey, we're starting lunch soon." The mercenary announced. "It's going to be outside in the field."

"We're coming!" Pit replied. "Oh, Lady Palutena! This is Ike! Ike, this is Lady Palutena."

Ike gave a friendly smile as he walked over, hand extended. "It's nice to meet you." Palutena blinked in surprise. Behind her, Pit began waving his arms at Ike, trying to get him to stop, but the swordsman ignored him. The brunette girl giggled from the doorway as the boy(?) in the black robes sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Ike." The boy, definitely a boy, said. "She's a goddess."

Ike tilted his head back at his friend in confusion. Luckily for him, Palutena had been amused by his honest behavior and took his hand to shake.

"Well it's nice to meet you too, Ike."

The mercenary grinned, and gestured to his two guests. "This is my sister Mist and my friend Soren."

"Hello!" The girl, Mist, giggled.

"A pleasure." The boy, most definitely a boy, Soren said simply. "We best be going now. I've heard rumors there's someone here who can out eat Ike."

* * *

><p>The five headed out together, with Mist and Pit chatting amiably, Ike and Palutena sharing a much slower conversation, and Soren hanging in the back in silence. Once they reached the garden, Ike spotted Marth with a pretty girl in red, decided he needed to embarrass the Altean prince, and left to do just that with his guests in tow. The buffet tables had already been set up. An alloy had even been sitting on a cage with a certain pink smasher housed within. Pit and Palutena did their best to ignore the pitiful poyos coming from the cage as they got in line.<p>

"Poor guy." Palutena sighed.

"It's for his own good, and the good of everyone else!" A strange voice piped. Pit nearly jumped at the sight of a large rodent in red magician garbs. "He'd eat everything here, and then everyone would chase him on an empty stomach. So don't feel bad for him. Now me on the other hand, I gotta stay with my pal here to make him feel less alone, but I'm starving! Won't you sneak me one bite while the little fella isn't looking?"

"Er…" Pit said, taken aback by the rodent. "I'll see if I can get you some cheese…?"

"Thanks a lot pal!"

Palutena gave Pit a look, who shrugged. They only had to wait a few seconds as they shuffled closer and closer to the food. The spread was quite impressive, stacked with different kinds of meats prepared in a variety of ways, followed by large salad bar for the herbivores. Everything smelled so delicious that the angel almost forgot to stack on some extra cheese. Once he grabbed a can of juice, he turned to find the rat.

"Wow, that's all for me?" The rodent playfully exclaimed. He laughed as Pit immediately pulled the plate away possessively. "Haha, I'm kidding! No need to look like a loser cat."

"Sorry, he gets like that when his meal's in danger." Palutena teased as her angel forked over some cheese. "By the way, we never got your name, Mister…?"

"Daroach." The rodent introduced, pausing to pop a piece of cheese in his mouth. "Boss of the infamous Squeak Squad. I'm hoping a lovely lady like yourself has at least heard of the famous treasure hunting gang?"

"Can't say I have. Well, I'm Palutena, and this is my captain, Pit."

"It's, er, nice to meet you?"

"Captain, eh? Well, I'd love to chat some more, but you two need to catch up some more, yeah? I'll let you get right to that."

As the two turned and walked away, they could hear Daraoch boasting to Kirby about his haul.

"Hey Pit!" Ness called out. "Would you and your friend like to join us?" The angel turned to see the young smasher waving at him. He was sitting with Lucas and their guests. Sitting by Ness was a middle aged blonde woman with a kind expression. Next to her was a younger blonde girl. There was a girl with bright pink hair leaning against a tree and a tall man with brown hair and a goatee sitting with Lucas. Not too far away, Pit could see a brown dog and white dog chasing some butterflies.

"Lady Palutena, would you like to join them?" Pit asked.

"Not at all!"

As they made their way towards Ness' picnic spot, the blonde woman and girl stood up together.

"Why hello there!" The woman greeted. "I'm Ness' mother, and this is my daughter Tracy! You must be Pit. Ness told me all about you. He gets terribly homesick all the time, so I'm so glad he has friends like you and Lucas to cheer up him."

Pit laughed half-heartedly, not remembering the last time he and Ness had a full conversation. Lucas seemed to pick up on his nerves and added, "Ness cheers all of us up, so it's only fair we do the same."

"Y—Yeah! Your son's a great kid, ma'am."

"Oh, come on guys!" Ness whined, going red.

"Pit, I didn't introduce you to my friends yet, did I?" Lucas quickly intervened. "That girl is Kumatora and that man is Duster. The brown dog over there is Boney. Before I came here, we traveled and fought together."

"Yo!" Kumatora greeted, lazily waving from her position. Duster was polite enough to limber over and shake Pit's hand.

"It's nice to meet you." He said quickly. He shot a look at the dogs who ceased playing and trotted over. They sniffed Pit and barked.

"Nice to meet you too! All of you." He gave them a big grin, glad to finally introduce his goddess. "This is Lady Palutena! She's the one who watches over me."

"It's so great to meet everyone here." She cheerfully said.

"Now that we've broken the ice, let's eat! I'm sure everyone is hungry right now."

The kids nodded and took their places at the spread. Palutena and Ness' mother quickly delved into their own conversation that no one else could follow. Duster and Tracy entered a slower conversation while the others spent their meal chatting amiably. When they were done eating, Lucas and Ness began to throw sticks for their dogs to catch and play with while the rest watched. They were interrupted by trumpeting and the harsh shriek of a microphone's feedback. The buffet tables had been replaced by a podium where Master Hand and Crazy Hand were positioned. Master Hand was at the microphone while some Metal Fighters were aiding him in setting up the stage.

"Hum hum, excuse me for that." Master Hand said. "Can everyone hear me? Okay, how are we all doing today!" The large hand paused at the loud cheer from Smashers and guests alike. "Good, because the preparations for the next event are almost complete. But first we'd like to introduce some guests of our own."

To Master Hand's right, a familiar sigil appeared on the stage, glowing brightly as a figure emerged. Pit had recognized him from the Melee Trophy set.

"It's Roy!" Ness whispered excitedly to Lucas and Pit.

Before anyone could react, a portal opened to Crazy Hand's left and a cat like creature descended down from it.

"…And Mewtwo…"

Murmurs immediately burst around the crowd, wondering what this meant. The next event on the schedule was setting up the tournament bracket, everyone knew that. But did the announcement of Roy and Mewtwo's arrivals mean that they would be included too?

"Settle down, settle down!" Master Hand boomed, causing another round of feedback. "They'll be helping us set up the tournament bracket after dinner, and starting the tournament with an exhibition match in the morning. Now with that said, you're all now free to mingle."

Right as the two floating hands disappeared, Marth had unexpectedly leapt at Roy, pulled him in a one armed hold, and began to ruffle his already spiky hair.

"Ah! Marth! Get off!"

Pit wondered if this was nothing new, as only the new comers of this season's tournament were staring at the scene. Everyone else had gathered around Mewtwo or returned to their own business.

"Ness, is that normal?" Lucas voiced.

"Hm? Oh yeah, they used to roughhouse a lot." Ness explained. "I think Roy said it was a way for them to cope in a casual tournament since they're both nobility."

"Everyone seems to be forming very wonderful bonds here." Palutena commented. Pit nodded in agreement. He spotted Meta Knight and Link pulling Marth off of Roy and felt his lips tug into a smile. He wondered what other things Visitor's Week would bring.

* * *

><p>I would have had this up sooner and better but then soccer training with dinosaurs happened and I got stuck.<p>

Anyway, I hope some of you are actually playing Fire Emblem: Awakening. I'm terrible at strategy games myself so I haven't gotten it, but my tumblr dash gets a lot of screenshots of support conversations. They're really good. I mean it, if you have it, explore all the character relationships you can because I'm pretty sure they hijacked Kid Icarus Uprising's localization team and went to town. Not as far downtown as KIU, but pretty far. (2/18/12)


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